Teachers to see launch of online training programme by Monday
– through partnership with OAS and ProFuturo
– GTT, Digicel to zero rate training websites
The Ministry of Education has made good on its promise to deliver a mass online training programme for teachers across the nation.
Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand, announced on Friday that this upskill will not only train teachers through a theoretical component, but will also feature a practical aspect.
“It is a one hundred-hour programme done in the teacher’s own time and that will be done (commence) on Monday,” Minister Manickchand informed.
According to the Minister, the programme was secured through a partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS) and ProFuturo. The Ministry also reached out to internet service providers; Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and Digicel to zero rate the training website, so that “teachers would have minimum expenditure on their own behalf”.
Minister Manickchand further informed that the Ministry of Education has already executed a “soft launch”, where more than one thousand teachers have successfully registered and commenced training.
In line with its commitment to ensure equal learning opportunities for hinterland and coastal communities, the Ministry of Education will be reaching out to educators in hinterland and riverine communities through adaptive means.
“We know that teachers in the hinterland don’t have connectivity, but they cannot be left out,” the Education Minister said.
She continued, “we got permission from the Organisation to reproduce their work and we’re printing modules right now as we speak to get into those villages, so that the theory for those one hundred hours can be done. And then we’ll make arrangements to get the practical done”.
Online training for teachers is expected to boost education delivery, even as Guyana battles with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Schools remain closed to face-to-face learning and will be using a range of innovative techniques to educate learners such as online platforms, radio, television and other adaptive methods. The National 2020 Budget has allotted $300Million toward these blended learning techniques.